Steve Yzerman's tenure with the Detroit Red Wings will likely be remembered for two reasons: the beginning and the end. At the start of his tenure, Yzerman drafted Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, players who can be argued are the best (or second best) from their respective draft class. At the end, though, things couldn't be more complicated for the Wings.
Captain Dylan Larkin wants out. The Red Wings are a full decade removed from the playoffs. Morale, it seems, couldn't be lower.
Yzerman's time as general manager will always be viewed with mixed results. These were his three best (and three worst) moves as general manager:
Best: Drafting and developing high-end players
A lot can be said about Yzerman's time with the Wings, but very little criticism can come from his ability to draft and develop prospects. Of his first round picks, Moritz Seider is a top-five defenseman in the NHL, Lucas Raymond is a top winger and Simon Edvinsson is one of the premier shutdown defensemen in the NHL.
One can certainly criticize Yzerman for his inconsistency in the second round, but he's also shown to be able to find gems in late rounds. Elmer Soderblom was a sixth round pick. Red Wings Rookie of the Year Emmitt Finnie was a seventh round gem. Yzerman has shown he's able to find value in (nearly) every round of the draft.
Worst: Brutal contracts to veterans
That said, his pro scouting department has been nothing short of a mess. Between long-term contracts for underperforming veterans like J.T. Compher to high-cost trades for players like Justin Faulk, it's clear that he wasn't able to bring in proven talent at good value.
To make matters worse, he's even gone as far as extending defenseman Ben Chiarot until he's 38 and signing a series of players that have all but logjammed the roster. It's hard for defensemen like Axel Sandin-Pellikka or William Wallinder to earn full-time spots on the roster when guys like Jacob Bernard-Docker are blocking their way in.
Best: Acquiring Jake Walman
One of the best trades in Yzerman's tenure was the move to acquire Jake Walman from the St. Louis Blues. In 2022, the Red Wings acquired Oskar Sundqvist, Jake Walman and a second round pick for Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski. Leddy went on to post underwhelming numbers with the Blues, while Walman quickly established himself as a top-pairing defenseman in the NHL.
The Red Wings went on to use that draft pick to acquire defenseman Andrew Gibson, who has yet to make his NHL debut. That said, the pick before saw the Red Wings acquire Trey Augustine, who all but looks to be the goaltender of the future if things go well in Grand Rapids.
Worst: Trading Jake Walman
We'll never know why Yzerman was so eager to ship off Walman, as he never openly shared the details with the press. In fact, he still hasn't spoken of it to this day. Until we learn any sort of details, though, this deal will look nothing short of abysmal. Yzerman sent Walman and a second round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for future considerations.
In other words, he got nothing back.
What makes this trade especially abysmal is that the Sharks later went on to trade Walman again to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a first round and second round pick. The Sharks got two second round picks and a first round pick in exchange for half a season of Walman. The fact that Yzerman wasn't able to extract even a tiny droplet of value from a young defenseman like Walman is a stain on his record as general manager.
Best: Alex DeBrincat trade
In what may have been the best trade of his tenure in Detroit, Yzerman acquired hometown hero Alex DeBrincat from the Ottawa Senators for Dominik Kubalik, Donovan Sebrango and a conditional first round pick from the Red Wings. The Senators were in a bind with DeBrincat and Yzerman quickly capitalized on this.
Kubalik scored a grand total of 15 points with the Senators before leaving for Europe, while Sebrango was claimed off waivers by the Florida Panthers. The first round pick Detroit sent over was used to acquire Linus Ullmark, who posted an abysmal .891 save percentage with the Senators last season. To say Yzerman won this trade is the understatement of the century.
Worst: Yzerman's passivity
The rules of the game have changed in today's NHL. No longer are teams building contenders through drafting and developing. Teams are now using everything from trades to offer sheets in order to create contending rosters. Yzerman, unfortunately, isn't that kind of general manager, preferring the slow, steady approach to building a legitimate roster.
In today's NHL, that doesn't cut it anymore. Had this been any other era, Yzerman would be heralded as one of the premier roster builders in the league. Instead, he's seen as a general manager that was unable to adapt to the changing landscape. Without those creative moves, the team was left floundering in the mushy middle, preventing them from taking a major step toward the future.
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